Electrical connector device



May 31, 1949. G. M. MIERLEY 2,471,440

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR DEVICE Filed Deo. 51, 1947 i 'IWW |38/ 39; L0 li Mmmm F IG. Z. Q

/ BY l W' ''w" ATTORNEY Patented May 31, 1949 2,471,440 Y ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR DEVICE George M. Mierley,

Havertown, Pa., assigner to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application December 31, 1947, Serial No. 795,083 1 Claim. (Cl. 174-59) This invention relates to electrical connector devices, and has for an object the provision of an improved protected connector assembly for joining sections of cable.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved cable connector device adapted to connect the outer endof one section of cable which is carried within a casing structure to the end of an exteriorly disposed section of cable which is adapted tc be carried closely adjacent the surface of the casing structure.

More particularly, it is proposed to provide an electrical connector device for connecting adjacent ends of a cable associated with an aviation gas turbine engine or the like, wherein elements of the device necessarily exposed on the wall of the engine casing are of minimum elevation and are carried closely adjacent the surface thereof, so as to maintain theI desired streamlined contour of the casing and to facilitate mounting of the engine" in an aircraft.

A further characteristic of the invention is the provision of a protected electrical connector device which is adapted to be carried on the engine casing for detachably connecting an internally disposed cable section to an exterior cable section supported on the casing at an angle with respect to the internal cable, the device having a housing adjustable to accommodate the outer cable in several different positions without necessitating the breaking of any soldered joints.

These and other objects are effected by the invention as will be apparent from the following description and claim taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational sectional view of an electrical connector device constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1, the cover section thereof being broken away; and

Fig. 3 is an elevational end view of the device shown in Fig. .1, taken substantially along the line III-III thereof.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, a connector device constructed in accordance with the invention and generally indicated at I is shown in association with a casing structure Il of an engine or other apparatus that is equipped with an electrical cable, including an internally mounted inner cable section I2 and an exterior cable section I3, the latter being disposed substantially parallel to the surface Ila of the casing and normal to the adjacent cable section I2. Both cable `over the exposed end sections I2 and I3 carry suitable insulation Il, which is cut away to expose the respective ends i2a and I3a thereof. As shown in the drawing, the end I2a of the inner cable extends through a bore I5 formed in the casing structure II', and terminates substantially flush with the surface of the structure. Secured to the cable I2 is a binding post member I1 having a sleeve portion I8, which is adapted to receive the exposed end and to admit solder by way of a suitable slot I9. A tubular insulator member 20 is interposed between the wall of the bore I5 and the outer surface of the sleeve portion I8, the inner end of the insulator member being adapted to abut a shoulder 22 of the casing and the outer end of the insulator member being adapted to engage an annular collar 23 which is formed on the binding post I1 outwardly of the bore I5. The outer end of the binding post member i1 termi-hates in a screw-threaded stud portion 25, which extends substantially along the axis of the member.

The end of the outer cable I3 is provided with a terminal lug 21, having a sleeve portion tted I3a of the cable and suitably clamped or deformed at 28 to insure a tight joint. The outer end of the lug 21 is compressed or otherwise formed'to provide an oif-set at eye portion 30 having an aperture 3| which is adapted to receive the screw-threaded stud 25 of the binding post I1. The eye portion 30 is formed substantially along a plane tangent to the surface of the lug 21 opposite the deformed portion 28, and is adapted to engage the upper surface of thel collar 23 carried by the binding post I1.

The lug 21 is adapted to be secured to the binding post I1 by means of a nut 40, which has screwthreaded connection with the stud portion 25 and may be locked in place by means of a suitable locking nut 4I. For facilitating assembly of the device, the stud portion 25 is provided with a slot 42 into which a tool may be inserted for preventing undesired rotation of the binding post I1 when the nut 40 is applied thereto.

For shielding the adjacent ends of the cable sections I2 and I3, there is provided a housing section, indicated generally at 35, which includes a substantially rectangular body portion 36 having a chamber 31 formed therein for containing the outer end of the binding post I1, and a channel portion 3 which is adapted to extendsubstantially parallel to the surfaces IIa of the casing structure and to underlie-a short length of the outer cable I3. For insulating the lug 21, there is provided a split insulator sleeve comprising secwithin the channel portion rig. 1.

. A closure member or cover. 45 is provided for completing the connector assembly and comprises a substantially rectangular portion 46 having a surface 41 engageable with a complementary surface 48 formed on the housing 35, anda channel portion 48' similarly engageable with the corresponding surface of the channel portion 38 for retaining the section 39h of the split insulator bushing enclosing the lug 21. A plurality of mounting bolts 50 are provided for securing the cover 45 and housing 35 in place on the casing structure II, these bolts being adapted to pass through suitably registering bores formed in the corner portions of the cover 45 for engagement in corresponding threaded bores -50a provided in the casing structure II. It is preferred to space the bores 50a which are adapted to receive the respective bolts 50 at equally distant points, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to permit the housing 35 and cover to be disposed in the most convenient angular position with respect to the axis of the binding post I1. In this Way the connector device may readily be adjusted to faciliand housing 35 tate installation of the engine including the-casing structure II in different types of aircraft, it being understood that the positionof the outer cable I3 may diier in accordance with individual structural conditions.

From the foregoing it will now be seen thatwith the elements of the improved connector device assembled as just explained, the binding post I1 may be soldered to the end of the inner cable I2 in a preliminary operation without regard to the angle at which the associated end of the cable section I3 may be brought in. When the casing structure II is subsequently installed in an aircraft and the cable section I3 prepared for attachment, the housing 35 may bp installed at the most convenient angle for receiving the lug 21, and the cover` 45 then secured in place, all without breaking the soldered connection or otherwise altering the condition of the inner cable I2 and binding post II. By reason of the provision of the split insulator bushing sections 39a and 39h within the channel portions 38 and 48', in surrounding relation with respect to the lug 21, any accidental strain on the outer cable I3 will effectively be resisted and prevented from laccidental grounding of the connection.

While the invention has been shown in but one l '4 to those form,fit will be obvious skilled in the art that it is not so limited. but is susceptible of various ,changes and modi'caltions without departing from the spirit thereof. What is claimed is: The combination with a casing structure'having an opening adapted to contain an inner cable section and associated with an adjacent outer cable section adapted to be disposed along the surface of said casing substantially normal 'to said inner cable section, of an electrical connector of the character described comprising an insulating bushing fitted into said opening, a bindf ing post member having a sleeve portion received in said bushing and secured over the end of said inner cable, said binding post member having a collar portion abutting said end of said insulator bushing and an outwardly projecting `screwthreaded stud portion, a lug secured to the end of said outer cable section and having an o-set terminal portion apertured to receive said stud portion of the binding post member and engageable with said collar portion, locking nut means for detachably securing said lug to said binding post member, a split insulating bushing for protecting said lug portion, a housing carried on said casing structure having a body portion for en-l closing said binding post member and a channel portion adapted to underlie the adjacent end of said outer cable, section, a cover section adapted to close said housing section and including a channel portion cooperative with the first-named channel portion for retaining said splitbushing and said lug, and a plurality of fastening means cooperative with said housing and casing structure, said fastening means being equally spaced to facilitate mounting of said housing to accommodate said outer cable section in the most convenient angular position relative to the axis of said binding post.

GEORGE M. MIERLEY.'

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS France Aug. 5, 1929 

